Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-06-23
CAME BACK In TIME.

HI. We uO OOlOOttOh W oupPOAhhe !
ye as long as ye need 1t; but don't
take any stock in shiftless men. That
young butcher boy hain't got no kind
Of push in him. He's bound to be a
hanger-on all the days of his life
Mark my words, now
This was touching a tender cord in
Bessie Middleton's heart Only the
evening previous Harry butcher had
told her the story she had known for
some time, and asked her to be his
wife when he should have earned
money enough to commence life re-
specially.
After a moments pause, which
Bessie made no attempt to break, the
deacon continued:
William seems to have the right
sort OF stuff IN him. He is prudent
and industrious and will get living
where another man will starve
William butcher was Harrys
cousin, man Bessie was only slightly
acquainted with and for whom she en-
tertained deep seated aversion
A short time after this Harry left
his home to study in Paris.
If l can ever earn money enough,
Bessie were his last words in part
ing, i shall send for you to come to
me. You will understand it and l
don't care what anybody else thinks.
Once away from this place | shall
never step my foot in it again as long
as I live. l have been compelled to
make confident of WILL he further
more told her. He has always been a
good friend to me. l shall send my
letters to you under cover of his, and
in this way the gossip of the neigh
borhood will be kept in ignorance of
one very interesting item.
And so the lovers parted.
Letters came frequently from the
absent one abroad, and nothing could
be kinder or more delicate than the
behavior of the gentleman intrusted
with the lovers secret.
How have disliked this mani said
Bess to herself, and how I shrink
from him now when stop to think,
and yet how kind he is, and what an
inestimable service he has rendered
me in poor Harry's absence!
This was all true. William Dutch
er had played his cards well. His
plans for the future were all laid. He
would undermine his cousin if that
were possible; if not, he would by
some miserable falsehood make lasting
trouble for him.
William had control of the whole
correspondence, and his attentions to
the deacon's daughter had come to be
so marked that many of Bessie's friends
wondered when tie wedding was to
take place.
Six months, and no letter. A year,
and no letter. What could it mean?
With heart heavy and sore with
hope deferred. Bessie constantly con.
suited her friend. No brother could
be more sympathetically attentive.
Days elapsed into years until three
times 365 we're counted. Then Will
liam butcher understood Harrys
silence. The faithful woman sat at
Christmas time with her lap full of
holly and ivy dressing a cross which,
ever since her lovers silence she had
annually wreathed and hung in her
room.
4 have brought you some finer
holly than that, said familiar voice
at her elbow. and | have secret
for you
"A secret! she whispered, stopping
her work.
yes, Bessie, a secret. You have
at last forced it out of me. You must
have noticed that for long time [
have been unable to speak of Harry
:Harryp she gasped, growing death
ly pale.
Yes, Harry; but how can you ex-
pect me to longer consider your feel
ings when l see you constantly max
ing yourself i'll and unhappy, and,
more than that, laughing. stock for
those of your acquaintances who have
all along imagined there was some
bond existing between you and my
miserable cousin?
Your miserable cousin?' repeated
Bessie, like one in dream.
NV miserable, unfaithful, contem-
ptible cousin, Harry butcher He
was married more than year ago in
Paris and has lived in that place ever
since. This is my secret, Bessie Mid
dleton-one which, for the sake of a
woman dearer to me than life itself, l
have carefully guarded.
Not word escaped poor Bessie
After awhile she rallied and said:
4 believed him dead. Surely this
is better than that. Let us never
speak of him again. .r
Christmas dawued clear and sun
shiny. Will butcher had made the
most of his opportunity, but this most
was extremely unsatisfactory.
Bessie bade him be still. She had
loved once and that once was forever.
This, however, did not discourage the
young man. Her father was on his
side, but everybody believed him en-
gagged; she would be compelled at last